I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary - Chapter 501

Chapter 501: 「Again?」

「Again?」

After finishing the greetings at the cathedral of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire, I returned home, gathered everyone in the dining room, and told them to be cautious of the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. But the only reaction was Elma looking at me with exasperation. It seems she thought I was being overly cautious for no reason.

「If I were just some run-of-the-mill mercenary, we probably wouldn’t have to worry too much. Or if we were dealing with the Grakkan Empire, which has little to no interest in psionic technology, it wouldn’t be a concern either. But we’re heading to a nation whose civilization is based on psionics, the Holy Vuelzarus Empire has a profound understanding of psionic power and uses it every day. These people know exactly how to make use of someone like me. I think it’s worth being cautious, don’t you?」

「You say that, but doesn’t that also mean they’re the ones who understand the dangers of dealing with people like you the most? I don’t think you need to worry.」

「If they know how dangerous my powers are, they’ve probably researched how to deal with them. They might even have developed technology to harness the energy I release if I ‘explode.’ And, don’t forget that the only information we have about the dangers of my power going berserk comes from the Holy Vuelzarus Empire itself. Who knows how much they’re keeping from us? We can’t afford to let our guard down.」

I countered Elma’s argument with what I think is a pretty sound argument. The more dangerous something is, the more people will research and try to exploit it. And there’s no proof they’ve told me everything.

「Um... my Lord... I swear, we really aren’t plotting anything sinister, really... I promise...」

Watching me and Elma argue, Kugi was on the verge of tears. She looked at me, practically pleading, and seemed like she might burst into tears at any moment. Using tears is unfair, isn’t it?

「Um, Hiro-sama, I think you’re being a bit hard on Kugi-san... Are you doubting her as well?」

「No, I’m not doubting Kugi. But there’s a difference between not doubting Kugi and trusting the Holy Vuelzarus Empire. Just because Kugi doesn’t know about it doesn’t mean the Holy Vuelzarus Empire isn’t planning to capture and use someone like me.」

Tina gave a wry smile at my response to Mimi.

「Boss, you’re almost paranoid...」

「Hmm... You might be a bit too suspicious, but I also think there’s no harm in being cautious. When it comes to dealing with nations, their decisions are based on national interests.」

「I completely agree with that. It’s understandable that the captain would be wary of a massive organization like an interstellar empire. I’m with the captain on this one. 」

「Hey, don’t make it sound like I’ve been picking up girls all this time...」

If I had been that unprincipled, the Black Lotus would be overflowing with girls by now. Probably. Though I don’t think I’m that attractive so maybe not.

「Look, instead of worrying about stupid things, you should do something about Kugi, you’ve made her cry because of your suspicions.」

「Alright. Kugi, I’m sorry for doubting you. I never actually doubted you personally. Please forgive me.」

「No, my Lord, it is my fault that you cannot fully trust my country. I will strive to earn more of your trust in the future...」

「No, no, it’s not your fault, Kugi... I’m really sorry.」

It seems my suspicion has deeply hurt Kugi. This is part of who I am, and it’s not something I can easily change, but I should try to broaden my perspective a bit more in the future... I should reflect on this.

「I don’t think the captain’s thinking is wrong, though. To a massive organization like a nation, individual lives and dignity are as insignificant as garbage. Let your guard down, and they’ll use you up and throw you away.」

「Neve, stop stirring things up. I understand your distrust of nations, but let’s leave it at that. Now, the discussion is over. Once the escort fleet arrives, we’ll be leaving the Grakkan Empire for a while, so if there’s anything you need to do before then—like contacting your family—do it soon. Tina and Wiska, you both have a lot of people to reach out to, don’t you?」

Elma skillfully brought the conversation to a close, lightly scolding Neve, whose distrust of nations stemmed from her own experiences. Elma really is reliable. If I mentioned anything about the wisdom of age, she’d probably break my arm though.

「Yeah, you’re right. I should get in touch with Mom and Airia.」

「I guess I’ll reach out to my adoptive father as well.」

With that, Tina and even Shouko-sensei made their plans to contact their loved ones, and the meeting dispersed. I, on the other hand, still need to make up with Kugi. Hopefully, as she said, nothing would happen. But who knows? We won’t find out until we actually go. For now, I’ll head to the cathedral tomorrow to gather more information and see how things unfold.